Thursday, November 24, 2011

There was a short story competation in our company on 24th Nov, 2011. I felt to narrate a story, i suppose to take story somewhere but story had its own intention and it took me far deeper then my thinking. I read story again and again and never thought that i could manage to write story like this. I haven't made any changes with the story after sending it to organizer even aftre i felt that has to be changed. I made many grammer mistakes that I agree (I am not good in english grammer). But I really welcome for your comments.

Here the story starts.........................

Harry is happier than ever, sitting beside his mother Pratiksha and enjoying the real Indian nature for the first time. Both sides of road are covered with tree, he can see two or three hills those are full of greenery. A river is making natural sound while the car they are sitting is not helping for a smooth ride, road seems to be not maintained at least from last six to seven years. He feels to jump out of the car and enjoy with the nature but not able to make it, his father Ravinayak is not in a good mood as well as his mother too. Harry is heading towards his grand fathers village(Sampigehalli) for the first time, day before they got a call from one of Ravinayak’s village friend, Ravinayak’s father Gopal is in a serious condition and there are minimum chances of surviving. Before Harry could break the rule and enjoy the natural beauty car is almost making the end of 3 long hour journey. Now they are in front of old house.

House is looking too old and never been painted with the paints but painted with some white and brown colors, not able to judge what the stuff they used for painting. Harry is stepping towards the house, he see a house with the black but well designed door and both sides of the door he see sit out kind of place. He enters inside the house, left side he could see cows and buffalos’ and right side a hall kind of place where his grandfather trying to get up from the bed though he is unable to make it.Ravinayak goes near to his father and enquiring about his health. He asks Harry to come close as his father would like to see him. When Harry comes close to Gopal, Harry could feel his grandfather trying to touch his face but don’t know how to react. Gopal unable to control his tears, starts crying in front of three peoples whom he missed in his life.

After a sentimental scene, Gopal asking his son Ravinayak and daughter-in-law about their health and life.He has enough pains in his life as he did not spend time with his son and family. Gopal was a farmer and his wife name was Gouri who died due to un-identified disease when Ravinayak was 10 years old. He never married again. Ravinayak was intelligent student in school and did engineering from a prestigious college with scholarship. After his education he settled in Bangalore working with one of the finest company as engineer. He never has a plan to return back to village and use to visit once in a while. Gopal was happy with his son’s life as he dreamt to see his son as a richer. But now Gopal is speaking what he could have conveyed will before.

Gopal: “I am happy that you family is well settled. But you know what? I lost my entire life in thinking about your wellness but you never try to look at me”.

Ravinayak: “No Daddy, I was and I am . I am really lucky to get you as a father. I see none of my village friends come out from village but you gave me education to reach this stage”.

Gopal: “Yes, that was my main mistake. I wanted to see you as a well settled but never wish to miss you. You might have been with me. Have you ever come across what the real relation means?”

Ravinayak: “Sorry dad. I had no chance as none of organization in this village or nearby places given me a job that’s fit for my qualification”.

Gopal: “What? You might have earned enough money just by getting a better job. But I never got a chance to play with my grandson when he was child. I never get opportunity to take him on my shoulder. I did not see him crying. Even I never felt a kick of my grandson when I could take him on my laps”.

Ravinayak is not getting what to say. He never had been thought of it. He was so busy in life with clients meeting and finding the better educational institutes for Harry.

Gopal: “I gave you everything you wanted but you haven’t bothered to ask me what my wish was. Every morning I was wishing to touch my grandson. Play with him, but that day did not come. When I feel my journey is over I am able to see my grandson. Is that what you pay me back as a son?”

Ravinayak: “Sorry dad, I did not understand all these things”.

Both of them started crying now. Gopal is fighting for a breath. The day he was waiting is much closer to him. Had a dream to see and touch his grandson that fulfilled.

Before Ravinayak or whoever in the home could understand. Gopal took his last breath. He is no more, finished his journey of life. Everyone started crying, Ravinayak too started crying and felt ashamed, trying to understand what all he could have done for his father. Gopal had only son and dedicated his whole life for his only son and in reverse he just able to touch his grandson once.Body of Gopal is buried in agriculture land owned by him as per his wishes.

Five day’s are passed after the death of Gopal. Ravinayak is still not able to come out from the last conversation he had with his father. The unsolved puzzle is running around on his mind. The thought that might have been thought well before, but now there was only way to think what might have been done and how situation would have been.

Ravinayak is sitting on the floor at the sit out. Harry sits next to him. He could see some boys are playing with a small round glass kind of stuff with different color and not able to judge what that should be? On other side of the road he sees some girls are holding a flat small stone with the round marks made on the ground. He gets confused and trying to find what they are doing.

Harry: “Dad, what these boys are doing?”.

Ravinayak: “They are playing. It’s a game played with the goli what they are holding in their hand. That’s really pretty game”.

Harry:”What about the girls on other side”?

Ravinayak:” Its also game called Kunte bille played in the rural India”.

Harry:”I never seen these kinds of games. Should be very interesting huh?”

Ravinayak:”Yeah, games played in the villages are really interesting. I played enough games like this in my childhood. We were more than ten with my age in this village. I played all kinds of game we suppose to be”.

Harry:”Really?”

Ravinayak:”For some time we use to play on a tree and after some time we would have been in a agriculture land. I use to lose half of the game and win others. I could see most of my friends with whom I spent my childhood in this village are still here. They say I am the luckiest person as I get money if it rains or there is no rain”.

Harry is studying his engineering from a prestigious engineering college in Bangalore. Never visited such kind of villages where he is now.Once he had been into Australia as a study tour. Ravinayak took care of him and his future very well. He was also cared by mother too. Harry got computer when he was in 3rd standard, use to play electronic games, had enough thing to play and watch in home but never been out from home for long time just to play. When he started going to college got chance to go out from the home and meet the friends. But in his life before he hasn’t got any chance to come to this village or play the games played by the village children’s.

Harry started thinking much about this, he use to sit near the playing children’s. Trying to understand what they are doing. Slowly he joined with them. Within 2-3 days he joined the village children’s and very happy there. Meanwhile he use to go to agriculture lands with the children’s and find out what’s meant to agriculture land seems. First time he could see how Wheat will be grown and made Wheat powder.

The day comes, after spending 15 day in village Ravinayak wants to return to the Bangalore and continue with his life. He asks Harry to get ready with the luggage. Harry has no mood to leave the village. He really like it wants to spend his life there. Go to lands and do irrigation. Now his mind turned from city life to village life. He just starts with the calm mind.

Harry:”Dad, Can we stay here for some few more days?”

Ravinayak: “What? We already spent many days here, better we go back now”.

Harry:”I am really enjoying this now. Please dad”.

Ravinayak:”I am much bothered about your study. Already you missed 15 days of college. Now at least you can get time to revise. You have 2 more months for exam so get good time to prepare”.

Harry:”What happens if I do not perform well in just one exam?”

Ravinayak:”Harry, how could you say like this? It’s your future, you had a dream to study in foreign institutes right? Now how come you speak like this?”

Harry:”Dad, I dreamt but now I feel that’s nothing compared to what I get here. Now I don’t have any dreams like studying in foreign institutes and get a good job”.

Ravinayak: “What? How stupid are you? Why are you talking like this?”

Harry:”Dad, I am serious. I learnt what grandpa spoke with you before he die. Now I am feeling like I missed him. How nice villages will be. Here I learning how to irrigate, the way farmers work for all of us. All of us don’t want to be farmer then how we get foods to eat? Have you ever thought of it? Here I could see how mango will be grown, before this I never thought how mango formed. Here I could feel fresh air, full of freshness. I am the biggest looser lost my childhood in computers and video games. You made me to spend my childhood the way it should not be. I am decided to stay back here, whatever it’s going to happen.”

Ravinayak:” You don’t want to develop yourself and because of youngsters like you we are lacking in developing the country”.

Harry:”Fact is parents like you are the main culprits. You want to see your children’s as a doctor or engineers working in finest companies or working in foreign countries. You never bothered about the culture and the social life of our country. You just want to see your son getting earned more and more, enjoying costly life. You made me to play snooker, tennis but I haven’t got chance to play chinni dandu, goli, lagori and many more games. Learning and following each and everything from other country is never meant of as a development. Girls dancing in club are what you say as developed country, India respect women’s so we Indians never wish to see them half dressed and drunken“.

After long arguments Ravinayak realizes what actually his son meant to say. He decides to stay back with Harry.They become farmers and starts educating the village peoples. Like this villagers become wise farmers and it was wealthy.

Intention

The story or my thinking is not actually meant to separate someone. Mainly not separate as a Men’s and Women’s, I would like to see more and more women’s educated so that they have the power to decide what’s wrong and what’s right. But for some extent I disagree with the way we are moving. For the name of modern we are heading towards the western style. How can we say that if we are following western style then it’s a modern style?How many of gents ware Dhothi? How many girls wear Sari? If we are wearing a Jeans pant and T-Shirt then is it called as development? I never hate any culture or lifestyle but more then that I like our culture.We fight in undivided family but still like to be member of those kinds of family.

Yes we are losing our self. We are losing just because we want to earn more and more money. We are losing our culture. We never want to be in a village so we are losing in front of nature. Global warming is an example for what we are losing if we want to be developed.